By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

RAINSVILLE – With one loss and two wins in the First State Bank Shootout hosted by Plainview High School, the Vincent Yellow Jackets moved to 12-4 on the season. The smallest AHSAA school in the county had not taken the floor since it finished third in the Shelby County tournament on Dec. 19, when the Yellow Jackets held on to beat a talented Montevallo team by a 49-41 final. After a nine-day layoff, Vincent was back on the road, traveling to play in its final regular season tournament.

In the opening round of the First State Bank Shootout, the 2A No. 2 Yellow Jackets took on 6A Scottsboro High School, and lost by eight points, 57-49. The Wildcats’ Malik Talley led all scorers with 22 points in the game, and while Vincent had Terrell Calhoun, EJ Datcher, Stephen Campbell and Wes King all in double figures, the Yellow Jackets could not overcome a 21-point first quarter effort and a 17-point fourth quarter push from Scottsboro.

After falling to the 6A Wildcats in the opening round, Vincent bounced back a day later with a 59-46 win over Dade County (Ga.) The second quarter was the difference in the game, as Vincent went on a 26-4 run, which encompassed the entire period, to take a 36-16 lead going into the break. Dade County chipped away at that lead in the second half, but never came close to pulling even with Vincent. Datcher finished with 20 points, seven boards, three assists, three blocks and a steal while King had an almost identical stat line of 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block.

In the finals of the consolation bracket of the tournament, Vincent met Fyffe in a rematch of the 2014-15 2A Northeast Regional final, a game Vincent won 51-45 to move on to the 2A Final Four. The result in this game was the same, although it was not nearly as close. After a tight first quarter, Vincent held a slight 15-13 lead before outscoring Fyffe 39-14 over the next two quarters to double up the Red Devils and take a commanding 54-27 lead heading into the last quarter. Fyffe made a run in the final period, but could not dig out of the 27-point hole, and the Yellow Jackets moved to 12-4 with a 64-48 victory. Campbell, Datcher, Zavien Kelley and King all scored in double figures while Datcher had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, his sixth of the year.

Now Vincent will turn its attention to area play as the Yellow Jackets hope to make another deep postseason run.